- About 12 people are reportedly dead and several houses burnt in the rampaging mayhem in Kaduna
- The clash is allegedly between Christian and Muslim youths in the state
- The police, after making some arrest, promise to thoroughly investigate the matter and avert further attacks
No fewer than 1,000 shops and several vehicles have been reportedly burnt in the violent clash that occurred between Christian and Muslim youths in Kaduna on Monday, February 26, over girls, as the death toll allegedly rose to 12.
Vanguard reported that the large-scale destruction that trailed the clash which engulfed Kasuwan Magani town in Kajuru local government area of the state was deadly.
Some burnt cars during the crisis that took place at Kasuwan Magani town in Kajuru Local Government area of Kaduna state. Credit: Vanguard.
Kaduna state commissioner of police, Austin Iwar, who disclosed the new death toll on Tuesday, February 27, said 18 people had also been arrested.
READ ALSO: Excercise Ayem Akpatuma: Soldiers kill 10 herdsmen in Adamawa, recover AK 47
The police commissioner vowed that no stone would be left unturned in unravelling the immediate and remote causes of the crisis.
Iwar, in the company of the general officer Commanding I Division of the Nigerian army, Kaduna, Major-General Mohammed Mohammed and state commandant of the National Security and Civil Defence Corps, Modu Goni, expressed shock at the scale of destruction.
He said: “It is unfortunate. As we can see, the level of destruction is very high, some people were killed and properties were destroyed. This is not what we wish for our state, Kaduna.
“Let me say that we will not leave any stone unturned in investigating the remote and immediate causes of this problem. We will talk to the stakeholders here and try to find out what the problem is and through civil problem-solving approach and conflict resolution, we will deal with that.”
“We will also look at the criminal aspect of it. So far, we have arrested eighteen people we suspect were involved in the crisis. We are working round the clock to ensure that we get to the root of the matter.
“We have recovered a number of dangerous items, including petrol bombs. We believe this is a planned thing and we will get to the root of the matter. We will do a thorough investigation to ensure that it does not happen again.”
He said the police was aware of “skirmishes” in the area two weeks ago and had made some arrests “but we did not know that there was a grand design to carry out massive destruction as it happened.”
He defended police response to the crisis, saying he mobilized his men and deployed to the area as soon as the police received reports of the crisis.
One of the houses, with a car, set ablaze during the crisis. Credit: Vanguard
PAY ATTENTION: Get the Latest Nigerian News Anywhere 24/7. Spend less on the Internet!
He added: “The most important thing to us is, when was it reported to us? Travelling from Kaduna to this place takes about forty minutes. We needed to prepare and mobilize our men. Police officers are not like items sitting on the shelves of supermarkets.
“We needed to bring people from other places. We took necessary steps to check the crisis. We brought in military reinforcement, Civil Defence, and Police reinforcement.”
A storehouse reportedly burnt during the deadly crisi. Credit: Vanguard
The police commissioner said 11 victims of the crisis were “buried around 12 midnight” while one person who sustained injuries later died in the hospital on Tuesday, February 27.
NAIJ.com previously reported that many houses were reportedly set on fire in an outbreak of violence in Kasuwan Magani, Kajuru local government area of Kaduna state on Tuesday, February 26.
Kasuwan Magani is 31 kilometers away from Kaduna city. It is located on the highway that links the state to Plateau, Nasarawa and Benue states.
NAIJ.com gathered that the crisis started on Monday, February 26, when a Christian girl who was allegedly engaged to a Muslim man was about to convert to Islam, a development that angered youths of the predominantly Christian settlement.
What is working well and what needs improvement in Nigeria? - on NAIJ.com TV:
Source: Naija.ng
from Nigeria News today & Breaking news ▷ Read Nigerian newspapers 24/7 http://ift.tt/2CMq5di
via IFTTT
No comments:
Post a Comment